COLLEGE BASKETBALL: La Salle ready for return to dance against Boise State

La Salle guard Tyreek Duren shoots during practice for a first round game of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Tuesday, March 19, 2013, in Dayton, Ohio. La Salle is scheduled to play Boise State on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Between all the interview requests and Coaches vs. Cancer breakfast Monday morning, John Giannini was behind on his preparation for Wednesday night’s meeting with Boise State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Dayton. Tipoff is approximately 9:10 p.m.

Hey, when it’s been 21 years since the last time a program went dancing, it’s OK to celebrate and soak in the moment. And the Explorers enjoyed their time in the spotlight.

“It was a good reaction from everybody, especially when I walked into class, they gave me a standing ovation,” guard Tyreek Duren said Tuesday. “My teacher was happy. Every class I went to they were saying how excited they were to finally have La Salle back in the tournament.”

The revelry did not last long.

“I think we celebrated Sunday, then Monday it was right back to work,” Duren said. “Coach was going over the scouting report and preparing us very well.”

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The only player not involved in that workout was Steve Zack. The 6-11 sophomore center will miss his third straight game with an injured left foot. Zack won’t be able to play if the Explorers (21-9) knock off the Broncos and earn a date with fourth-seeded Kansas State Friday afternoon (3:10) in the second round of the West Regional in Kansas City.

“We’re smaller and we’re not as deep without him,”Giannini said. “But the good news is that we already had one of the top big men in the Atlantic 10 before Steve got hurt. We were already deep before Steve got hurt.”

Giannini was walking about Jerrell Wright, the 6-8 sophomore forward out of Dobbins Tech. Wright is fourth on the team in scoring (10.3 points per game) and leads the team in rebounding (6.9 per game).

“We can still pretty a talented lineup out there,” Giannini said. “It just means that Jerrell Wright has to play more, which frankly, if I was an opposing coach, I might be more concerned about (that) because Jerrell’s really good.

“So (Zack’s injury) affects our depth. If Jerrell gets a couple of fouls, we’ll probably leave him in there. Jerrell Wright just has to play more. We’ll be fine as long as we can get the minutes we need out of Jerrell.”

As much as the Zack loss hurts, especially from a rebounding standpoint, the Explorers are not playing a team with a massive front line. The Broncs (21-10) use a three/four guard lineup, depending on how you classify 6-6 sophomore Anthony Drmic, Boise State’s leading scorer. Ryan Watkins (6-9) is the only true big man in the starting lineup. The rest are guards. Derrick Mays is 6-3. Jeff Elorriaga is 6-2 and Igor Hapziomerovic is 6-4.

Giannini counters with a similar four-guard attack, with Duren (6-0), Ramon Galloway (6-3), Sam Mills (6-2) and D.J. Peterson (6-5). Tyrone Garland, the first player off the bench, also is a guard.

“They have four guys out there that can shoot the three,” Giannini said of the Broncos.And the thing about 3-point shooting is that it can change the game dramatically.

“For example, we’re playing Butler in our last game and it’s a six-point game and we’re at the free throw line shooting one-and-one and feeling good because we’re a good free throw shooting team. We’re saying, ‘OK, it’s a four-point game with 5:30 left.’ Sure enough, we miss the front end of the one-and-one and they go down and shoot a three and all of the sudden it’s a nine-point game. That 3-point shot is the difference makers.”

A lot of NCAA Tournament games have been won and lost because of the three, among many other factors. And for the first time in nearly a generation, La Salle gets to be part of that experience. They do not want it to be a short stay.

“We’ve got to come out Wednesday ready to play and continue to make a run in the tournament,” Duren said.